OAKLAND, Calif.—Phillip Steering had six hits, including two home runs and Travis Burleson gave up one earned run on the mound but the Hawai`i Hilo Vulcans came up just one run short twice during 8-7 and 2-1 losses to Academy of Art on Sunday afternoon at Laney College in Oakland.

The Vulcans, who also dropped the first game of the series on Saturday (6-3), are now 14-23 on the season and 10-19 in the Pacific West Conference. The Urban Knights improved to 21-19 in 2018 and to 16-15 in the PacWest.

The two teams will meet on Monday night under the lights to wrap up the four-game slate.

The first game began in stunning fashion against a Vulcan pitcher that has been one of the most effective UHH hurlers all year.

The Urban Knights rocked freshman Kyle Alcorn for seven runs and seven hits in the first inning, which included four doubles and a triple. By the time Cole Nakachi could arrive in relief, Academy of Art had a 7-1 lead.

Prior to that, the Vulcans had scored first when Steering, Kamalu Neal and Edwin Stanberry hit singles to make it 1-0. After the bottom half, the 7-1 score stayed on the board into the fifth inning when the Vulcans got one back on Jonathan Segovia's single (7-2).

Meanwhile, Nakichi settled in on the mound, allowing just one run in 4.2 innings, and Thomas Warren tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, giving up just one hit. That kept the Vulcans within striking distance, and strike they did in the seventh.

A single by Dylan Sugimoto, a double by Kyle Yamada and a walk to Segovia loaded the bases for Steering, with no place to put the slugger. Choosing to pitch to him, the senior first baseman made the Urban Knights pay with a grand slam to pull the visitors within two runs at 8-6.

Steering wasn't done. In the top of the ninth, with two outs, he launched his ninth homer of the year, making it a one-run game, but AAU pitcher Christ Rost got the final out to end the game.

Steering went 4-for-4 in the loss, scored three times and had five RBI. Sugimoto had two hits for UHH.

The second game was completely different, except for the part about Steering hitting.

Steering doubled in the first inning, but AAU pitcher Chris Petrosie didn't allow much after that.

Burleson gave up a first inning unearned run to the Urban Knights and the home team scored again in the fourth when Elijah Smith tripled a run across the plate to give his team a 2-0 lead in the pitcher's duel.

Nonetheless, again in their final at-bat, the Vulcans made it interesting. Four base hits, including a Segovia RBI-single loaded the bases with two outs, bringing guess who to the batter's box—Steering. But this time lady luck wasn't in his favor, as his line drive found the glove of the Urban Knight shortstop to end the game.

That would have been Steering's seventh hit of the game. As it was, he went 6-for-8 on the day with the two home runs, his eighth and school-record ninth of the year. RJ Romo had two hits in the game for UH Hilo. Burleson was the hard luck loser (3-5) pitching six innings, allowing six hits , one earned run, no walks and one strikeout. Petrosie went the distance for the Urban Knights, scattering eight hits and one earned run.

After the Monday game, the Vulcans will move on to play Holy Names in a four-game series, Thursday-Saturday.